I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9216 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a comprehensive 

study on the use of distributed ledger technology in the Department 

of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2024 

Ms. MACE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a 

comprehensive study on the use of distributed ledger 

technology in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Affairs Dis5 tributed Ledger Innovation Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 It is the sense of Congress that— 


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1 (1) veterans deserve efficient, transparent, and 

2 secure access to benefits and services earned through 

3 their honorable service; 

4 (2) distributed ledger technology offers prom5 ising solutions for enhancing data integrity, security, 

6 and transparency; and 

7 (3) exploring innovative technologies such as 

8 distributed ledger technology could significantly im9 prove the allocation of benefits, management of in10 surance programs, and maintenance of records with11 in the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

12 SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS STUDY ON 

13 USE OF DISTRIBUTED LEDGER TECHNOLOGY. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

15 shall conduct a comprehensive study on the feasibility, po16 tential benefits, and risks associated with using distrib17 uted ledger technology across various programs and serv18 ices of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

19 (b) MATTERS FOR EXAMINATION.—In conducting the 

20 study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall examine 

21 how distributed ledger technology could— 

22 (1) improve the efficiency and accuracy of bene23 fits allocation to veterans; 

24 (2) enhance the management and security of 

25 veterans’ records and personal data; 


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1 (3) streamline insurance claim processes for 

2 veterans; and 

3 (4) increase transparency and accountability in 

4 the delivery of services to veterans. 

5 (c) CONSULTATION.—In conducting the study under 

6 subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with— 

7 (1) experts in distributed ledger technology; 

8 (2) representatives of veterans service organiza9 tions; 

10 (3) the heads of other Federal agencies with ex11 perience using distributed ledger technology; and 

12 (4) any other stakeholders the Secretary deter13 mines appropriate. 

14 (d) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 

15 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

16 to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

17 House of Representatives a report on the findings of the 

18 study under subsection (a). Such report shall include each 

19 of the following: 

20 (1) The findings of the study regarding the fea21 sibility of implementing distributed ledger technology 

22 in the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

23 (2) A description of potential benefits and risks 

24 associated with the implementation of such tech25 nology in the Department. 


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1 (3) Any recommendations of the Secretary re2 garding pilot programs or other initiatives that 

3 should be implemented to test the use of distributed 

4 ledger technology in specific areas of Department 

5 operations, such as benefits distribution or insurance 

6 claims. 

7 (4) Any legislative or administrative actions re8 quired to implement such technology in the Depart9 ment. 

10 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 (1) The term ‘‘distributed ledger’’ means a 

12 ledger that is— 

13 (A) is shared across a set of distributed 

14 nodes, which are devices or processes, that par15 ticipate in a network and store a complete or 

16 partial replica of the ledger; 

17 (B) is synchronized between the nodes; 

18 (C) has data appended to it by following a 

19 specified consensus mechanism; 

20 (D) publicly accessible or restricted to a 

21 subset of participants; and 

22 (E) may require participants to have au23 thorization to perform certain actions or require 

24 no authorization. 


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1 (2) The term ‘‘distributed ledger technology’’ 

2 means technology that enables the operation and use 

3 of distributed ledgers. 

Æ 


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